Mail-exchanging device.



H. E. SMITH.

MAIL EXCHANGING DEVICE.

APPLICATION man 0m21.191s.

Patented Ag. 20,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Mudez H. E. SMITH.

MAIL EXCHANGING DEVICE` APPLICATION man 0m21.191s.

1,276,280. PatentedAug.2o,191s.

ETS

2 SHE -SHEET 2.

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Titien HERBERT E. SMITH, or sroxaivE, WASHINGTON.

MAIL-EXCHANGING DEVICE.

Y `Specification of Letters liateiit.y Pmggntgd Aug, 20, 1918,

Application led December 27, 1916. SeralNo. 139,1204.

To all whom t may concern: Y 1

Be it known that l, HERBERT E. SMITH, a citizen ofthe United States,l residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and Stat-e of `Washington, have invented certain new and useful lImprpvements in Mail-Exchanging Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mail exchanging devices for the transference of mail pouches from a moving train to a receiving and delivery station or from such station to a moving train.

The improvements involved are closely allied with the apparatus set .forth in my v co-pen'ding application for patent. for mail exchanging devices, filed August 29, 1916, Serial Number 117 ,447, in that certain portions or elements common toboth, are quite similar in construction and mode of operation. c v l The principal object of the Vpresent invention is to simplify thel construction of 'my previous device as a whole and to improve the details of construction of certain of the essential elements. l

More generally, another object of my inveiition is the provision of a device of the foregoing character by means of which general mail matter, including parcel post matter, can be safely transferred from a moving train, traveling at high speed, to a station, or vice versa, without danger of injury to the operators, the contents of the mail bags, or to the exchanging apparatus itself.

A further general object of my -invention resides in the provision of an apparatus to effect the foregoing exchanges, which also includes in its organization means byY which both of said operations-the transference from Vthe train to the lstation and fromthe station of the train-may be performed practically simultaneously;` that is,-a mail car equipped with my apparatus, in passing a station will not only take up the mail from the station, but will. also, at substan? tially the same instant, serve'to 'transfer other mail to the station. i

In accomplishing my purposel I have provided a greatly improved mechanism for maintaining the mail bag catcher and supporting arms in their extended operative position, and also simplified the device by eliminating the vertically pivoted bag supporting members of the station apparatus lsuch as disclosed in said copending application. Otherwise the-operation of the two inventions'is substantially the same and l will therefore, and to avoid'eonfusion and elements ofan' exchanging'device asV will en-l able ine to clearly set forth the construction, operation and advantages 'of my' improvements. i

In the accompanying 'drawings- Figure 1 is'a view of the station apparatus as viewed. Vfrom the direction offthe railway and showing a mail bag held by the Acatcher hooks `and the' 'catcher' arms swung -into the position' they would assume immediately after a bag catching operation. Fig. 2 is an endw'ise View illustrating the relative positions ofthe station and car apparatus -atthe -moment of exchange, the arms ofl the former being extended outwardly and supporting a bag readyI for vdelivery, and the car device arms in extended bag catching position. f j l Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed perspective view showing therelative positions of the upper station and `car apparatus bag suspending and catcher yhooks and indicating a bag supported by the station device ready to be caught by the'car hooks.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged bottom plan view of my improved shock absorber and the coacting mechanism for positioning and maintaining the arms of the station apparatus in desired operative and inoperative positions, the several parts being shown in. their -relative positions when the catcher and bag supporting arms are swung inwardly A out of operative position.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of said devicek with the members in inoperative positions, and

Fig. 6 is a different side view in elevation thereof. v

Referring more particularly to the draw- .60 prolixity, illustrate and describeonly suchv ings in which-like reference characters are `-port by means of the brackets 5 aplatforin 6. Thelower legs -7 'ofthe structure ,ai'ei 3 these arms 10 and 10 carry at'theirfree ends bag catching hooks 12 and 12 respectively which may be of duplex design as shown for the purpose ofk serving in their bag catching capacity for trains passing in either direction.

The lower arm 10 is also provided with an extension 13 which carries a bag retaining device 14, as in Fig. 2, while on the upper arm 10 is mounted a bag supporting gooseneck 15 having a bag retaining device 16, clearly shown in Fig. 3.

As illustrated inFigs. 2 and 3 the mail bag pouch which the contrivance just described is designed to suspend for catching by the apparatus of a passing train in =motion, is provided at either end with flexible' lines 17 having at their extremities conically shaped buffer members 18 which are adapted to enga-ge the bag retaining devices 14 and 16, in a manner to allow of instantaneousV removal therefrom of the bagupon impact of the catcher hooks or devices of the train apparatus with the lines 17, as indicated in Fig. 2.

In effecting a transference to a car the bag supporting arms 10, 1 0 of the station apparatus are extended outwardly from the structure in the direction of the railway as shown in ig. 2, and as it is essential to provide means for steadying or stabilizing and maintaining the arms in such position so that they will not be dislodgedprematurely by wind, train suction, or other untoward conditions, I have provided an improved and novel device to satisfactorily accomplish this purpose and also, in connection therewith, a shock absorbing` mechanismv to take upthe shock incident to the bag exchanging operation.

This retaining and shock absorbing device is mounted upon the lower extremity of the revoluble standardl and consists of the substantially U-shaped angle bracket 19 one end of which is iixedly mounted upon the lower end of said standard 1 at 20. Disposed between the legs 21'and 21 of the bracket 19 and having one end supported thereby, is the air compression cylinder 22, the head end thereof being pivotally mounted at 24 to the bolt 25 carried by the bracket 19:. The lower leg 21 of the bracket iso'f somewhat greater length than the upper leg '21 and has mounted at its extremity a grooved whe'e126. i

The' outer end of the piston rod 2,7 of the cylinder 22 is pivotally mounted at 23 upon the shaft v29 which suitably fixed to the floor or platform ,6 by bolts 30 and depends therefrom. A coil spring 31 has its opposite ends vsecured to the lower end ofV said shaft .29 and at 31 to the extended leg 2,1 of the bracket 19 intermediate of its length.

Bolted to the platform 6 subjacent thereto is the L-shaped angle piece 32 which carries the spring controlled latch device clearly illustrated in Figs." 4 and 6. This latch device is composed of the slidably mounted arcuate segmental member 33 provided with the curved recess 34, the member 33 being under tension of the spring 35.

Upon manually positioning .the mail bag supporting and catching arms in their outward operative position the grooved wheel will engage the latch member 33 and serve to lock the mechanism in its set position, at which time the spring 31 will be positioned so as to exert tensionfrom its point of connection 31 on leg 21 through the axis of the movable standard 1 to which the upper leg 21 of the bracket 19 is fixedly secured and its point of connection to the stationary shaft 29. rThis will be clearly manifest from the view, Fig. 4. Y

AssumingV that the mechanism has been set in its operative position, a sudden shock, such as that imparted by impact of the catcher devices of the car apparatus, will serve to roll the wheel 26 out of the recess 34 and allow the rest ofthe-mechanism free action under tension of spring 31 to return the arms rearwardly. The latch member 33 being under tension of the spring` 35 will normally position itself somewhat'` forwardly of the vpoint it will assume when engaging the wheel 26, as in the latter instance the spring is compressed and acts directly upon the wheel to lock the two parts together. To release the wheel a sudden shock or impact of considerable force isnecessary, andthe latch will resist effectively such dead pull as might result from wind or train suction. y

Referring now particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be noted that the upper bag slipporting gooseneck 15 of the station apparatus is super-posed with relation to the catcher hooks r12l and also upon a higher relative plane than the upper bag supporting arm 36 of the train device; and that the lowerbag supporting device 14 of thc'station apparatus'extends outwardly from and in substantially the same plane as the lower catcher hooks 12. Also, that both the lower bag catcher hooks 37 and the bag support-ing device 38 on the arm 39 of the train appaf -ratus are above the plane of the correspondino` station hooks and supporting device.

he lower bag support 38 and the upper bag support 40'of the train apparatus, it should "be noted, are merely extensions of the bag hooks 37 and 41 and are in substantially the same planes as their respective hooks.

This arrangement and relative disposition of the catcher and supporting devices is of the utmost importance, as I am thereby enabled to use either apparatus for both catching and delivery of the mail bags or for the simultaneous exchange ofV two bags, one from the car to the station and the other from the station to the car. And I will claim such arrangement and disposition as a distinct feature of my invention. f

The function yand operation of the shock absorbing cylinder are obvious. Such mechanism is included in my previous application for patent already herein referred to and, aside from its coperation with the other elements of the mechanism for maintaining the bag supporting arms in extended position, and returning and retaining said arms in inoperative position, forms or constitutes in itself no part of my claims to invention in this case. l

It is to be understood that the train apparatus is preferably controlled, as regards maintenance of the arms in outward position and absorption of shock, by means of mechanism substantially similar to that disclosed in said co-pending application, and I do not lay claim to such mechanism herein.

Pivotal swinging movement of they arms to accommodate trains passing in either direction is provided for by my novel mechanism and any danger of damage or destruction thereof by a passing apparatus improperly set, is obviated. Having described my invention, I claim l. In a device of the character described, a supporting structure, a revoluble standard mounted thereon, arms carried by said standard, a tensionally controlled member carried by said standard, an engaging device carried by said member, a stationaryspring controlled recessed latch adapted to coperate with said engaging device to retain said arms in predetermined operative position, and a spring having one end secured to said tensionally controlled member forexerting tension thereon and for returning and retaining said arms in their inoperati ve position.

2. In a device of the character described,

a stationary mail bag supporting structure having horizontally extended upper and lower bag supporting and bag catching arms, bagcatching hooks carried by said arms, a superposed bag supporting device disposed above the plane of said upper arm, anda bag supporting device carried by said lower arm, said hooks and supporting devices being adapted for coperation with a car apparatus to effect the transference of mail bags from the car to the station and vice versa. l

8. In a device of the character described, a supporting structure, a revoluble standard mounted thereon, arms carried by said' standard, a spring controlled substantially U-shaped bracket having an upper and an extended lower leg, the former being fixedly mounted upon said standard, an engaging device carried by said lower leg; a stationary latch adapted to engage said engaging device to retain said arms in predetermined operative position, a spring having one end secured to said lower leg for exerting tension thereon and for returning and retaining said arms in their inoperative position; a shockabsorbing iuid compression cylinder having one end secured to said bracket and a piston coperating therewith having the free end of its rod pivotally mounted, said spring and shock absorbing device coperating to maintain said arms in operative position, absorb shocks, and to balance the elements ofthe apparatus during the mail bag exchanging operation.

4. The combination with a supporting structure, a revoluble standard, and mail bag supporting means 4on the standard, of a retaining bracket fixed to the standard, va Huid pressure cylinder pivoted to the bracket and a piston stemtherefor pivoted to a post on the suporting structure, a contractile spring suspended between said post and bracket, and means for retaining the bracket and cylinder in alined position.

5. The combination with a supporting Copies of this patent may 'ne obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washingtomnc. 

